Dark Elf



Of all the races of the world, it is the Dark Elves (or Drow as they prefer) who are shrouded in the most mystery. In aeons past, the three elven races were but one united beneath the love of the Goddess Saria. Following the Schism, one sect, driven by grief and horror at what had become of their beloved Goddess and her glowing paradise, withdrew from their kin and the rest of the world entirely. Those who would become the High Elves grew bitter and thus the first tales of the Dark Elves were spun and shared with the mortal races: not out of want for knowledge, but out of spite and animosity for what was perceived then as betrayal.

In their absence, Dark Elves became nearly mythical creatures. Stories were told of vile and evil creatures that stalked in the dark like beasts, leading lives fraught with depravity and malice. They became boogeymen to the children of other surface-dwellers, the subjects of cautionary tales and fables. Perhaps their choice of habitat turned some of these rumors into truth: in the dark, Drow have become more wiry than their former selves and are deceptively strong and dexterous. Drow assassins and scouts are among the most skilled in the world, with some able to embody the very essence of silence itself. It is perhaps because of this penchant for stealth and subterfuge that Drow are often seen with a suspicious eye, and are not uncommonly found in the lowest rungs of human society.

On the Surface
When groups of Drow began to return to the surface some ages later, they found that they were unjustly straddled by suspicion and even outright hostility in some places. Those early days were often bloody but Drow are nothing if not a stubborn folk. Over time, they have come to be tolerated if not accepted entirely into surface communities, albeit often strictly in places of great poverty or neglect. Those who would not tolerate their abuses turned to start their own communities instead, choosing to live apart from others who would perpetuate such prejudices.

Settlements on the surface at casual glance seem to only amplify descriptions of filth and depravity as they are often found in swamps, bogs, and other such places unappealing or outright inhospitable to human (or perhaps more specifically high elf) habitation. But in these places, the Drow thrive and flourish, able to amend their surroundings to suit their purposes. While they may lack the elegance and glamour of human villages and cities, they are nevertheless full of life and a strong sense of community that pervades much of Drow society.

This communal instinct is so strong that it is not uncommon to see Drow settling into such designs in the fringes of human society. An obvious example is Dusktowne, in the Kingdom of Ardea, where a community of Drow have banded together with others living in poverty to eke out life outside the city walls, with or without the approval of said city.

The Deep Cities
The geometry of the world grows strange in absence of light and time and this is no different for the fabled labyrinths beneath the earth. In the days following the Schism, a group of Ancients delved deep into the very roots of the world, where the dying remains of the world tree’s roots anchored the magic above with the cold below. While the eldest of these maze cities have been lost to time, the cities later spawned by the gradual shift back up towards the surface yet remain. The territories of the Drow are largely indistinct, partly by virtue of being ensconced in utter darkness. However, those unwelcome may very well find themselves doomed to be lost in the darkness forever, for the Drow guard their labyrinths jealously that none may steal their secrets.

The largest of these cities span entire cavern systems, seemingly grown from the very stone itself. Drow have become expert stone-shapers and enjoy stark architecture reminiscent of the weathering of stone and water. What light exists is often provided by glow-worms and strains of bio-luminescent fungi carefully grown, harvested, and manicured to seem as natural as possible. Much of what natural resources they acquire come from what flora and fauna exists so far below: the chitinous shells insects, the flesh and pelts of bats, and the silk from spiders are all precious materials that make up a majority of household items, tools, clothing, and weaponry. Blow-darts made from hollowed spider limbs, for example, are a favored weapon among Drow scouts and hunters, paired then with darts made lethal by poisons brewed from mushrooms unique to the deep caverns.

Nearer the surface, there are Drow settlements that - while not completely open to outsiders - nonetheless receive some trade from the surface world. In these places, the architecture takes clear Dwarven influence, and it is not uncommon to find Dwarven artisans, merchants, and engineers plying their trade to an eager Drow community. Things like Dwarven timepieces have become so valued that there exist entire vocations devoted to the art of maintaining precious clockwork pieces and documenting the passage of dates and time.

Racial Relations

 * With High Elves: Terrible at worst, strained at best. The greater body of Drow governance would rather have nothing to do with them whenever possible. From condemning and outright slandering their kin to pushing their way into mortal affairs to embracing their wretched Arcane magic, High Elves have betrayed the spirit of the Ancients as well as the Goddess herself - so a Dark Elf might say.
 * With Wood Elves: Neutral. There is a mutual respect to be found between Wood Elves and Dark Elves: where one continues Saria’s legacy in the world above, so the Drow have taken responsibility for the world below, in the shadows of the great world tree. That the Wood Elves insist on using what ought to be a dead magic is something of a sore point but others have certainly done worse.
 * With Dark Elves: Mixed. Despite the natural lean towards the greater common good, there is no clear consensus on where the Drow themselves feel they ought to be. Many below turn up their noses as the thought of rejoining the surface and consider the very act of leaving the labyrinths an act of treason; others still believe the cave-dwellers foolish for not fighting to reclaim a place in the sun, with or without the abuses from the other races. Perpetually out of place even in the places they’ve claimed below the surface, it is not rare for the average Drow to feel pulled in many directions regarding their own lives as well as that of their communities.
 * With Dwarves: Amicable, especially with the Cavern Dwarves with whom the deep cities trade with at the exclusion of all others. Even above the surface, Dwarves have made valuable partners in re-acclimating to a changed world. Dwarves, after all, have been there since the very beginning, and in that alone they are worth respect.
 * With Orcs: Ambivalent. Historically limited contact has given most Drow little context in which to consider them, but their natural inclinations toward magic make them worth wariness if not outright fear. Whatever their Monoliths are, they are worth suspicion.
 * With Humans: Mixed. Humans often embody ideals that traditionalist Drow find quite repulsive: greed and war-mongering are unthinkable when the need to survive in harsh conditions have been bred into them. That humans so eagerly flirt with magic, too, is another cause for concern, but such is their way: to boldly stumble through things they might not understand is part of what makes them strong, for better or for worse.

The Legacy of the Ancients
The demise of the Goddess was an event of unspeakable tragedy that shook the Ancients to their very core and was arguably the single most important event in the collective history of elvenkind. The magic that they once wielded with grace and care was forever tainted by those that turned it against Saria herself, and so the Drow effectively swore themselves that they would never wield it again. Perhaps that, then, was the intention of the Ancient Drow: to bury themselves along with their magic so far below the earth that they might never see the light of day again. Yet despite their intentions, they would ever remain children of Saria, cursed by the burden of her blood.

The use of magic is considered highly taboo and those who have the gift are often vilified. In the deep cities, where such traditions still hold strong, those touched by magic are often banished - a punishment that is typically reserved for their worst criminals. Just as they themselves were made subject of gruesome stories, so too are the mage-kind spoken of as monsters and villains, that the young might suppress or otherwise ignore whatever magical inclinations they might possess.

This fear is so deep-rooted in the Drow psyche that even the surface Drow know well to be fearful. However, the world has changed and the use of magic has become more and more widespread. Here, those Drow who do feel the call are as welcome as they’ll ever be to pursue its study should they feel so inclined.

Notable Dark Elves in Ardea

 * Councilwoman Sabiara is the first Drow to win a seat upon the Ardean Council, the city's ruling body. When asked about this achievement, she had the following to say: "I find my work as a councilor in Ardea very fulfilling. There has yet to have been a day that I am not filled with pride for the very people I represent nor have I found it hard to stand tall as a voice for all the people, not just the elves I represent."

See also:

 * A directory of known Dark Elves in Aetheral.